[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16816-16817]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1630
       SUPPORTING INAUGURAL USA SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FESTIVAL

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1660) expressing support for the 
goals and ideals of the inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival 
in Washington, D.C., and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1660

       Whereas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 
     (STEM) education is an essential element of America's future 
     competitiveness in the world;
       Whereas advances in technology have resulted in significant 
     improvement in the daily lives of Americans;
       Whereas the global economy of the future will require a 
     workforce which is educated in science and engineering 
     specialties;
       Whereas a new generation of Americans educated in STEM is 
     crucial to ensure continued economic growth;
       Whereas scientific discoveries are critical to curing 
     diseases, solving global challenges, and expanding our 
     understanding of our world;
       Whereas it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
     that invigorating the interest of the next generation of 
     Americans in STEM education is necessary to maintain 
     America's global competitiveness;
       Whereas nations around the world have held science 
     festivals which have brought together hundreds of thousands 
     of visitors celebrating science;
       Whereas the inaugural 2009 San Diego Science & Engineering 
     Festival attracted more than 500,000 participants and 
     inspired a national effort to promote science and 
     engineering;
       Whereas thousands of universities, museums and science 
     centers, STEM professional societies, educational societies, 
     government agencies and laboratories, community 
     organizations, K-12 schools, volunteers, corporate and 
     private sponsors, and nonprofit organizations, have come 
     together to produce the USA Science & Engineering Festival on 
     a nationwide scale in Washington, D.C. in October, 2010;
       Whereas the USA Science & Engineering Festival will 
     highlight the important contribution of science and 
     engineering to American competitiveness through exhibits on 
     such topics as human spaceflight, satellites, weather 
     forecasting, and telescopes; and
       Whereas the House of Representatives believes scientific 
     research is essential to American competitiveness and events 
     like the USA Science & Engineering Festival promote the 
     importance of scientific research and development to the 
     future of America : Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses its support for the goals and ideals of the 
     inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival to promote 
     science scholarship and an interest in scientific research 
     and development as the cornerstones of innovation and 
     competition in America;
       (2) supports festivals such as the USA Science & 
     Engineering Festival which focus on the importance of science 
     and engineering to our every day lives through exhibits in 
     such topics as human spaceflight, weather forecasting, 
     satellite technology, and telescopes;
       (3) congratulates all the individuals and organizations 
     whose efforts will make the USA Science & Engineering 
     Festival highlighting American accomplishments in science and 
     engineering possible; and
       (4) encourages families and their children to participate 
     in the activities and exhibits which will occur on the 
     National Mall and across America as satellite events to the 
     USA Science & Engineering Festival.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 1660, the 
resolution now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 
1660, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of the inaugural USA 
Science and Engineering Festival. I want to congratulate the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Bilbray) for introducing this resolution.
  A number of much-publicized studies have shown that the mathematics 
and science achievement of American students is poor by international 
standards. This is a dark cloud over the future of American 
competitiveness. Without high-achieving math and science students 
today, we won't have the innovative scientists, engineers and 
technologists for tomorrow.
  As you know, the House recently passed the America COMPETES Act 
reauthorization, which seeks to improve STEM education at all levels, 
not only so that our Nation will produce the world's leading scientists 
and engineers, but also so that all students, high school, and junior 
college students will have a strong background in math and science.
  The USA Science and Engineering Festival, which is taking place in 
October on the National Mall and in satellite locations across the 
country, is a collaboration of hundreds of science and engineering 
companies, professional associations, colleges and universities, K-12 
schools, and other organizations, all with the goal to recruit the next 
generation of scientists and engineers by inspiring students and 
showing them how science intersects daily with their lives. The 
culmination of the festival will be a free 2-day expo on the National 
Mall and will feature over 1,500 interactive science activities.
  Once again I want to commend Mr. Bilbray and his cosponsors for 
introducing this resolution, and urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting the goals and ideals of the inaugural USA Science and 
Engineering Festival.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1660, 
and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I, of course, rise in support of H. Res. 1660, 
supporting the goals and ideals of the USA Science and Engineering 
Festival taking place on the National Mall and at satellite events 
around the country.
  This inaugural national event on October 23 and 24 is intended to 
celebrate science and raise awareness of the importance of science, 
technology, engineering, and math education in the United States. STEM 
education is a crucial component to our Nation's growth and well-being. 
Advances in the science and engineering fields not only have made our 
lives significantly better but also have had a global impact as well.
  The USA Science and Engineering Festival will have over 1,500 free 
hands-on activities and shows for all ages featuring some of the most 
talented and

[[Page 16817]]

experienced specialists in the science and engineering fields. This 
festival aims to reinvigorate the interests of our Nation's youth in 
STEM by producing and presenting the most compelling, exciting, 
educational, and entertaining science gatherings in the United States.
  Inspiring our children to become more interested in the STEM fields 
and in careers through endeavors such as this is the key to unlocking 
our future economic and innovative potential and success. Over 100 
members of Congress have joined to support the efforts of this festival 
in a bipartisan fashion.
  I am pleased to support the USA Science and Engineering Festival, and 
I encourage my colleagues to join me in this support.
  At this time I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Bilbray).
  Mr. BILBRAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer a resolution to 
support the inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival to be held 
here in Washington, D.C., and, more importantly, to be held in 49 other 
locations across this country between October 10 and October 24. I say 
``more importantly'' because of the fact that sometimes those of us in 
Washington forget that we are the capital of the Nation, but we are not 
the Nation. The foundation of this concept of our Federal republic is 
to make sure that we represent those communities out throughout this 
Nation, not just here in D.C.
  This festival is actually going to be centered here in D.C. and in 49 
other locations, and I think it is one of those bipartisan efforts that 
I would like to thank my colleagues for, those such as Chairman Gordon, 
Pete Olson of Texas, Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Brian Baird of 
Washington, two colleagues from Washington.
  This is a unique opportunity for thousands of Americans to learn more 
about science and engineering from exhibits, participation, 
demonstrations, performances and discussions.
  For those of us in San Diego who firsthand witnessed the wonderful 
event we had in 2009, the inaugural event of the San Diego Science and 
Energy Festival that attracted over a half-million participants, we are 
really kind of excited for the rest of the Nation to experience this.
  Our Nation finds itself in the midst of a terrible economic 
recession, a crisis that is one that has been growing for generations, 
not one that was just spurred in the recent past. One of the key 
answers to pulling ourselves out of this economic trouble is to 
activate those entrepreneurial spirits in the scientific research that 
has always led America on the cutting edge of technology, and of 
economic and social prosperity.
  Our Nation needs this kind of stimulus. Frankly, I think the USA 
Science and Engineering Festival is a great opportunity and can help 
the private sector work with the public sector. In fact, I think the 
latest I saw was that there were millions of dollars being put into 
this by the private sector because they see how important this 
investment of not just money, but of minds and creativity is going to 
be for all of us.
  Madam Speaker, I think that we can recognize that though we have been 
successful in the past, only if we recognize that science, math, 
technology is going to be essential for a prosperous future, I think 
that we can look at each other and say maybe we need to spend more time 
focusing on those things that we have taken for granted for much too 
long.
  I am happy to say I think culturally America is waking up to the fact 
that science is cool, that science is a neat thing to be involved with. 
In fact, I think that those of us who remember when the chairman and I 
were growing up, the great heroes of law enforcement were Joe Friday 
and the cops carrying the badge, who are still the heroes, but now our 
young people are learning it is the scientists who can find that little 
particle that leads to the answers. And every day, every night we can 
always turn on the television now, and we don't just see the strong cop 
on the beat, we see the scientists in the laboratory being our heroes.
  Hopefully this will help to continue to grow the culture that being 
smart is cool, being a scientist is something to aspire to be. And 
maybe in our own little way, in our small way by supporting this 
festival, we can cultivate those minds and that creativity out there 
and maybe we will see the future Alexander Graham Bells, the Thomas 
Edisons, the Robert Fultons and many other great Americans who have 
been able to create the America we know today and the world we see 
around us that too often we take for granted that science and 
technology made it all possible.
  With this event, maybe we will be able to remind all of us how lucky 
we are to be in America, where freedom of mind goes along with freedom 
of spirit.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I once again thank my friend 
from San Diego for an excellent resolution and also for the good 
constructive role he plays on our Science and Technology Committee.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1660.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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